Cross beam for grape stakes

ABSTRACT

A cross beam for grape stakes comprising an upper planar member supported by a housing member that projects normal thereto, and has an opening in the bottom for fitting on the top of a grape stake, and with second planar members projecting from the ends of the first planar member at an angle thereto to the sides of the housing, and ribs positioned between the planar members for grasping the grape wires, all being made of a ductal plastic material that provides a rigid support that can stand abuse, is relatively light weight, and that does not wear the galvanizing off of the grape supporting wire lines.

States Patent [191 Roberts 1 Feb. 12, 1974 CROSS BEAM FOR GRAPE STAKES [22] Filed: Aug. 9, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 278,986

[52] US. Cl 47/46, 256/57, 211/119.01 [51] Int. Cl A01g 17/06 [58] Field of Search 47/44-47;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,419,998 l/1969 Burton 47/46 18,083 9/ 1893 Great Britain 47/46 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Eugene I-I. Eickholt Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Brown & Martin 57 TRACT A cross beam for gape stakes comprising an upper planar member supported by a housing member that projects normal thereto, and has an opening in the bottom for fitting on the top of a grape stake, and with second planar members projecting from the ends of the first planar member at an angle thereto to the sides of the housing, and ribs positioned between the planar members for grasping the grape wires, all being made of a ductal plastic material that provides a rigid support that can stand abuse, is relatively light weight, and that does not wear the galvanizing off of the grape supporting wire lines.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Pmemcn w 3791 070 4 A eas Fig.

CROSS BEAM FOR GRAPE STAKES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Grape vines are normally supported on grape stakes that are driven into the ground and have cross beams at their upper end for supporting wire lines that in turn support the grape vines. In the past, the cross beams have usually been wood beams that are supported by diagonal arms both of which are nailed to the grape stakes. Staples are then driven into the wood beamat appropriate places to hold the wire lines. The wooden cross beams and their installation costs are not inexpensive. The labor required to cut such wooden beams and diagonal arms and to secure them to the grape stakes, and then string the wires onto the beams is considerable. Further the wooden beams have a tendency to deteriorate since they are out in the elements and it is normally not practical to paint the beams with wood preserving material. Also the metal to metal contact between the steel staples and the wire lines tend to wear off the galvanizing on the wire lines, since the wires work back and forth relative to the cross beams. After the galvanizing has worn off of the wires, the wires quickly rust and break.

Because of the limitation of wood cross beams, and their expense add installation costs, metal cross beams have also been used. The metal cross beams are relatively expensive to make, are subject to rapid deterioration because of the elements, and further tend to cause rusting of the wire lines, because of wear between the wires and the metal cross beams and also because of an apparent electrolysis action that exists between the two members in actual installations. Further the metal cross beams normally have insufficient strength and require bracing support, because to make the metal cross beams with sufficient strength greatly increases their cost. Also automatic harvestors in barvesting grapes normally contact the grape stakes and the cross beams with considerable shock force. This often causes the wood cross beams to break and the staples to pop out, thus releasing the wire lines. With metal cross beams, the metal deforms and bends releasing the wire lines and it is normally not practical to bend the metal cross beams back into shape. Rather they must be removed from the grape stakes and replaced.

So it is advantageous to have a new and improved cross beam for grape stakes that is relatively light weight, has a ductal and shock resisting structure, and yet that has sufficient strength to support the wire lines and has means for holding the wire lines relative to the cross beam in a manner that the galvanizing on the wire lines is not worn off, and that are easily and quickly installed on grape stakes and can be quickly and easily removed, and that are not subject to corrosion or deterioration because of the elements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an embodiment of this invention, a cross beam for a grape stake has a first planar member with a pair of second planar members fixed to the outer ends of said first planar member, which second planar members extend at an angle to the first planar member in a direction toward the mid portion of the upper planar member. A housing, integral therewith, extends in a direction normal to the upper planar member and has an opening in the bottom thereof, for fitting on the upper end of a grape stake. The ends of the second planar members are secured to the bottom of the housing. In-

tegral therewith, are rib members secured between the first and second planar members and the housing member forming a cross beam structure. Hook portions are secured to the upper surface of said first planar member at the ends and at the center for receiving and holding the wire lines for supporting the grape vines. The planar members have a substantial width relative to their length, giving support against twisting and against bending. The entire structure is made integral and is formed, for example, from molded plastic, such as high density polyethylene, that has ductal qualities that resist impact and does not excessively bend or tend to break under loads or because of shock loads. Further the ribs in the outer spaces between the first and second planar members have a thickened webb portion to absorb twisting loads at the outer ends.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved cross beam for grape stakes.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved cross beam for grape stakes that is made of integral plastic material such as high density polyethylene.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved cross beam for grape stakes that has high strength and yet is light weight, that is relatively inexpensive to make and is easy to install and remove from grape stakes and that has ductal qualities to resist impact and yet does not bend or break, and that is resistant to the elements.

Other objects and many advantages of this invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and an examination of the drawing, wherein like references numerals designate like parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the cross beam for grape stakes.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cross beam.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of the cross beam in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of the cross beam in FIG. 2, with parts broken away.

Referring now to the drawing, the cross beam 10 has an upper or first planar member 12 and second, lower planar members 14 and 16 that are integral at the ends with the upper planar member 12 and extend at an angle thereto. A housing structure 52 is fixed to and integral with the upper planar member 12 and with the ends of the second or lower planar members 14 and 16 forming an integral structure. Web portions 18 and 20 are positioned between the first planar member 12 and the second planar members 14 and 16 and the housing 52. These rib portions have openings, such as opening 22, to reduce the weight thereof with the web portion 20 forming a full structure to provide added strength to absorb twisting loads at the outer ends of the first and second planar members.

The housing 52 has an opening 58 in the bottom thereof for positioning the cross beam 10 on the top of a graph stake 56. The housing has side web portions 24 and 48 with openings 25 to reduce the weight of the cross beam structure. Web portions 24 and 48 have respective openings 26 and 50 for receiving nails, such as nail 54, that secure the cross beam 10 to the grape stake 56.

The upper surface of the planar member 12 has wire retaining hooks 32, 34 and 36. Each of the wire retaining hooks has a socket 40 for receiving the wire lines 44. The hooks have an opening 42 that is smaller than the diameter of a line 44 so that the wire line, moving in the direction of arrow 46, see FIG. 4, snaps through the opening 42 of the hook and rests in the socket 40. Thus the wire 44 is retained in the socket 40. Since the structure is made out of a plastic, such as high density polyethylene plastic, the galvanized surface of the wire is not marred when the wire works back abd forth in socket 40. Further the hook has a base portion 38, with sufficient width to provide strength to the hook in holding the wire 44 in position, it being recognized that the wire 44 is normally directing its force in a downward direction in socket 40. The planar members 12, 14 and 16 are tapered at their outer ends 30 to reduce the weight and size configurations of the cross beam.

The cross beam thus provides a strong and light weight structure that is easily, slidably mounted on the stake, that has a central rigid structure and hooks for supporting the wire lines at each end, in a manner that allows in the line wires and to a certain extent the ends to move, such as when contacted by automatic harvesting machines, and yet that will not deform or break.

Having described my invention, 1 now claim:

1. A cross beam for grape stakes comprising:

a first planar member,

a pair of second planar members fixed to the ends of said first planar member and diverging at an angle to said first planar member to a point adjacent the center of said first planar member,

a housing member being open at the bottom thereof is secured to said first planar member and projects substantially normal thereto for fitting over the end of a grape stake,

said second planar members being fixed to the sides of said housing, rib members secured between said first and second planar members, means on the upper surface of said first planar member for holding line wires that are used to support the grape vines, said line wire receiving means comprising a plurality of base members, secured to said first planar member, with said base members having a hook that projects upwardly with the hook end portion being spaced adjacent to said base member, the space between said hook end portion and said base member being slightly smaller than the diameter of the line wire, said line wire holding means comprising at least three of said base and hook members with base and hook members being positioned at the outer ends of said planar member and at the center thereof, said rib members adjacent said center housing, having openings therethrough for reducing the weight of said cross beam, and said rib sections being solid at a location adjacent the outer ends thereof to absorb twisting loads. 2. A cross beam for grape stakes as claimed in claim 1 in which; said planar members being tapered at their outer ends.

3. A cross beam for grape stakes as claimed in claim 2 in which; said cross beam being made of a ductal plastic material.

4. A cross beam for grape stakes as claimed in claim 3 in which; said housing having openings therethrough for driving nails into the grape stake for securing said cross beams to the upper portion of the grape stakes. 

1. A cross beam for grape stakes comprising: a first planar member, a pair of second planar members fixed to the ends of said first planar member and diverging at an angle to said first planar member to a point adjacent the center of said first planar member, a housing member being open at the bottom thereof is secured to said first planar member and projects substantially normal thereto for fitting over the end of a grape stake, said second planar members being fixed to the sides of said housing, rib members secured between said first and second planar members, means on the upper surface of said first planar member for holding line wires that are used to support the grape vines, said line wire receiving means comprising a plurality of base members, secured to said first planar member, with said base members having a hook that projects upwardly with the hook end portion being spaced adjacent to said base member, the space between said hook end portion and said base member being slightly smaller than the diameter of the line wire, said line wire holding means comprising at least three of said base and hook members with base and hook members being positioned at the outer ends of said planar member and at the center thereof, said rib members adjacent said center housing, having openings therethrough for reducing the weight of said cross beam, and said rib sections being solid at a location adjacent the outer ends thereof to absorb twisting loads.
 2. A cross beam for grape stakes as claimed in claim 1 in which; said planar members being tapered at their outer ends.
 3. A cross beam for grape stakes as claimed in claim 2 in which; said cross beam being made of a ductal plastic material.
 4. A cross beam for grape stakes as claimed in claim 3 in which; said housing having openings therethrough for driving nails into the grape stake for securing said cross beams to the upper portion of the grape stakes.
 5. A cross beam for grape stakes comprising: a first planar member, a pair of second planar members fixed to the ends of said first planar member and diverging at an angle to said first planar member to a point adjacent the center of said first planar member, a housing member being open at the bottom thereof is secured to said first planar member and projects substantially normal thereto for fitting over the end of a grape stake, said second planar members being fixed to the sides of said housing, rib members secured between said first and second planar members, means on the first planar member for holding line wires that are used to support the grape vines, said line wire receiving means comprising a plurality of hook members, with each hook member having a hook that projEcts upwardly with a hook end portion being spaced adjacent to said first planar member, the space between said hook end portion and said first planar member being slightly smaller than the diameter of the line wire, said line wire holding means comprising at least two of said hook members which are positioned at the opposite outer ends of said first planar member, said rib members adjacent said center housing, having openings therethrough for reducing the weight of said cross beam, and said said rib sections being solid at a location adjacent the outer ends thereof to absorb twisting loads. 